It is supposed to have added functions of supplementing brain functions, do you have any personal experience with it?<p>earlier discussion (2010): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1198116
On a related note I'd like to say that you should in general be very wary of any substance that people claim to be a "nootropic" or to otherwise improve cognitive functions. A lot of the studies that these claims are based on are 1) funded by groups that would see benefit from the claims (supplement industry), 2) not reproducible / are one off studies / show statistically insignificant results given the sample size, or 3) simply based on shitty science.<p>For example, in the article found at the link, note that they only examined 45 people, all of whom were vegetarians (who are much more likely to be creatine deficient due to their diets). Although the subjects were consuming more creatine than the vast majority of meat eaters would consume naturally, since the authors didn't experiment with other doses (e.g. 1-2g a day, more accurately mirroring the diet of those that consistently eat meat) there's no telling whether consuming extra creatine will actually benefit your cognitive abilities if you are already regularly eating meat.
As with most nootropics, Gwern has done the research.[1] Summary: creatine probably doesn't do anything for cognition. It might help some vegetarians.<p>1. <a href="https://www.gwern.net/Creatine" rel="nofollow">https://www.gwern.net/Creatine</a>
I very much doubt you'll see any fugitive enhancement and in the two decades I've been cycling on and off supplemental Creatine for my workout regime, I can't speak for any such gains.<p>Creatine is both synthesized by the body and consumed in meat. The vast majority of it goes into skeletal muscles where it functions as an ATP recycling compound, something these cells consume a lot of. Small amounts are found inn the blood and brain add well but not nearly as much.<p>It may provide a small boost if you're low on blood sugar simply from providing some extra energy and drawing water into the cell - but it's not much more than you would get from simply consuming energy rich compounds like sugars or carbohydrates. It does certainly provide significant physical performance enhancement by increasing endurance, reducing muscle fatigue and generally providing greater muscle "pump" from it's cell volumizing qualities. Thus I'd say that the only cognitive gains one would experience would be from the added satisfaction coming from better performance and improved physique - ie. A placebo effect of sorts. However, depending on the importance of physical fitness to an individual, this can be substantial. My improved workouts and increased strength definitely put me in a much better mood and provide greater motivation for my intellectual endeavors. Ironically, because it can supercharge workouts, it can leave one with substantial mental fatigue immediately after such workouts at which point you're better off taking a break to recover before doing any mentally intense stuff
Most of the studies that show an intelligence improvement were done on vegetarians (look it up at examine.org), which I am so YMMV. When I'm already feeling sluggish it seems to help with "brain fog." But I think I could improve this by eating a more balanced diet, no creatine needed.
My current nootropic stack is:<p>* Pramiracetam 500mg
* Alpha GPC 50% 600mg
* Noopept 10mg
* Agmatine Sulfate 500mg<p>I am convinced that these chemicals work, improve mental ability, memory/recall and focus. Ive found myself able to handle more task simultaneously, even able to understand to multiple conflicting conversations.<p>If you can handle the awful taste of Pramiracetam (its bad... probably the worst thing ive ever tasted) you may find quite the boost in awareness. Some may find it too intense. In general nootropics are non-addictive, especially with the awful taste of Pram, you might need to force yourself to take them...
AFAIK, there's nothing conclusive about supplementing brain functions. Examine.com has a good write up on creatine [1].<p>I've used creatine with the goal of increasing performance in strength training. I guess I'm a non-responder, 'cause there was no noticeable gains in performance for me.<p>[1] <a href="https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/" rel="nofollow">https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/</a>
I've been using a daily dose of 5g of creatine for several months to help with climbing. Maybe I'm a non-responder, or maybe the effects are too subtle, but I haven't noticed anything. Definitely nothing in terms of brain functions or what not.<p>It's cheap enough to continue to do it though, so I kind of keep at it.
Well, I didn't know that. Maybe I should expect a rise on my cog-skills now that I started taking it last week for exercise.<p>On a side note: As others pointed out, Modafinil is really what you want if you need a brain supplement. I've been taking it since November last year on a daily basis (100 milligrams, half a pill) and I can say that I've been able to make a lot of progress to actively stop procrastination. It's not magic, I still struggle with it a lot, but I've been able to manage it and build a routine of meditation and exercise that I hadn't been able to build before (I'm 35 y/o). There's a lot of work left to get to point where I can say I've actually won and I'm not a procrastinator anymore, but this year so far will be one of the most productive I've ever had.
For anyone who is considering creatine, you need to be sure to properly hydrate. I am not aware of any cognitive benefits, there are most certainly physical benefits to it. Regardless though, if you are consistently taking creatine hydration is extremely important.
No creatine, but I'd like to profit of this occasion to tell people that suffer from allergies to try high doses (several grams 1) of vitamin C. This has been a life changer, I can now mow the lawn without symptoms where even with antihistamines it wasn't possible (last year my father had to do it for me).<p>I'm sharing it here because I wish I knew about vitamin C 30 years ago.<p>1- buy it in bulk powder form this will be much cheaper (I paid 38€ for 1 kg)
I'm having good luck with caffeine + l-theanine + l-tyrosine.<p>I occasionally use nicergoline which I really like, however if I use it too many days and then skip, I get a headache - much like caffeine withdrawal.<p>At night I sometimes use rutaecarpine to deactivate any late-afternoon caffeine - though after a few days of continued use - it tends to render caffeine ineffective.
I've tried a lot of nootropics and I have yet to find something that gives me any effect, at all. Either I'm a non-responder or I have too high expectations since I compare it to proper drugs. I'm used to being blown out of my mind and body when taking substances.
I have found creatine gives me much more energy. not specifically a brain supplement but it seems good overall.<p>I should add i don't eat much meat most of the the time, and i don't get enough sleep. So it may just be bringing me back to a normal.
DMAE and modafinil. Modafinil has very noticeable effects on alertness. DMAE is more subtle, but I think it improves focus, I feel like I type faster for example. Usually my fingers are very lazy otherwise.
I've heard there is research that it improves cognizance in dementia patients. Here's a google dork because I can't find what study I am talking about:<p>site:*.edu -intitle:muscle creatine dementia study
This is interesting! I only knew it as a muscle building supplement.<p>It's role is to store water inside your muscles, making them larger. I don't know of any effects on the brain and I would be cautious of taking something that it wasn't made for.<p>In saying that there's been a number of cases where pharmaceutical products were developed for one issue but the side effects ended up being the actual product.<p>I was taking a high load of creatine for body building six months after a major concussion (motorbike accident). I can't say that I noticed any change in brain function.<p>Where did you hear that creatine affects brain function?
If you're thinking of supplementing nootropics and haven't taken the time to seriously address sleep (quality and quantity), diet, and exercise, you're wasting your time and missing the biggest ROI variables. (After those three factors, I'd include regular meditation before even bothering with nootropics.)<p>That said, there are plenty of other well-documented benefits to creatine supplementation as documented on sites like examine.com (linked elsewhere in this thread).